


Little Dark Age

by apsaralice



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Angst, Character Death, Dream is George’s King, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, I might forget tags, Kinda of the Dream smp plot but revisited, King Jschlatt, King Philza, Knight Niki, Prince George - Freeform, Techno Tommy and Wilbur are Philza’s sons, They’re all knights of the King, War general Techno, Witch Fundy, knight dream, knight sapnap, people are gonna die I’m sorry, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:21:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27618268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apsaralice/pseuds/apsaralice
Summary: Prince George & Knight Dream AU, where George tries to overthrow King Schlatt, his uncle, and Dream is a little too reckless.Meanwhile Prince Wilbur rises as the king of the Crimson Kindgom and plans to take over the Blue Kingdom with the help of his brother and war general, Technoblade.I can’t write pls help me I cry
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 94





	1. If you really love nothing

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I suck at writing and I don’t even speak proper English, but hey, bare with me  
> I HAVE THIS AU IN MY HEAD I NEED TO WRITE IT DOWN

The sun was setting down over the copper roof of the town, projecting hues of orange and teal on the ground. Shadows were growing bigger by the minute, and a sent of incense filled the air.

Standing still on a street corner, hidden by rusty barrels, was a masked young man.  
He had been waiting, and the streets had been deserted for a while. Soon enough, the sound of horse shoes approached and he drew out a long knife.  
He ran to the animal and in a swift move he sliced its leg, making it fall to the ground as well as the person riding it. A series of muffled curses could be heard over the horse’s agony, and a hooded man stood on the ground, coughing in pain. Slowly, he looked up at his assailant standing in front him, bloodied knife drawn out in an intimidating posture.

“Well hello there,” the hooded man slowly rose to his feet, staring right at a smiling white mask. “...are you trying to mug me in the middle of street?” He sounded surprisingly...unbothered. And maybe even amused?

“If I were you, I wouldn’t act so bold.” He looked down at the man’s golden belt. “I know you’re important and you carry money, so it would be kind of you to hand it to me this instant. I don’t have any time to waste.”

“No, I don’t think I will.” He said as he stepped confidently towards the thief. The other man quickly reacted and was about to slice his neck off when the knife in his hand turned white hot and burned his fingers. He yelped and yanked it to the ground in bewilderment, but could only blink before his mask sliced into two and fell to the grown, shattering in glistening pieces. 

“How—“

“Do you have any idea who I am, thief?”

His instinct was telling him to run, because he could tell a wizard when he saw one. But his pride and curiosity got the best of him.

“Enlighten me.”

“My name is Darryl. I’m the King’s personal counselor, and the only magic user in position of power in this kingdom. If I were you I wouldn’t mess with me. You know, stealing is bad.”

The man swallowed slowly, not knowing whether or not he was about to be smashed into a wall by this sorcerer’s magic.

“If you need money, you could just ask for it. And look what you’ve done!” The brunette turned to his bleeding horse and kneeled near his leg. He was wearing rectangular glasses and overall looked like a sweet and perhaps naive individual.  
“My poor Rat.” He placed his hand on the wound, and it was a matter of seconds before it entirely vanished in a golden glow. Darryl turned to the taller man.

“Tell me, what is your name?”

“It wouldn’t be very wise of me to tell you.”

“Well, how am I supposed to address you, then?”

The thief stood silent for a second.

“I go by Dream.”

“Lovely, Dream! You can call me Bad. I think you and I are gonna be good friends.”

Dream couldn’t help but crack a nervous smile. Would could he possibly mean? Was it a polite way to say he was about to kill him? He hadn’t met many wizards and therefore couldn’t tell the extent of this man’s magic so despite him looking anything but intimidating, he stood on his guards. 

“I don’t think I’m following.”

The wizard adjusted his glasses, a sly smile on his face.

“See Dream, I’ve heard about you. You’re the masked thief that has successfully robbed so many of my comrades that you’ve made a reputation for yourself in the city. People are talking of a shadow, of a man who even the toughest of us wouldn’t dare fight. See, you made me fall off my horse. And as an experienced thief, I can just tell, this might seem like routine to you. But someone catching me off guard has so rarely happened. As a warlock, I’m always aware of my surroundings, but surprisingly, i wasn’t aware of you. It just proves you’re a stealth master. And I can sense it, you’re a great fighter too. If I hadn’t used my magic on your knife here, I probably would be bleeding out on the ground right now.”

Dream didn’t see where this was all leading.

“What are you trying to say, wizard?”

“I just have a question for you, it is all.”

“Go for it.”

“Why are you stealing?”

Dream thought the answer was obvious.

“I need money. Not all of us are as privileged as the likes of you.”

“Why don’t you find a job? You clearly seem smart and gifted. You wouldn’t have any problem getting one.”

The taller man considered the brunette for a moment, frowning. 

“They don’t interest me. The jobs. I just like the rush, and the adrenaline. And I’m homeless, so I gotta make it work, somehow. Why? Are you making a fool of me?”

“No, not at all. The thing actually is that... I’m looking for people like you. People who have clearly no real life goal down here in the city, and are looking for one. Gifted and skilled people like you.”

“...What for?”

“I’m looking for royal knights.”

Dream scoffed in surprise and confusion. “You’re crazy if you think I’d ever serve the King. And are you so desperate you’re recruiting thieves like me, who a second ago were about to kill you?”

“Oh I don’t need knights for the King. It’s quite the opposite actually. I need a knight for the Prince.

“What do you mean?” The Prince? Why would the prince need a personal knight?

“Let’s just say the crown Prince has been the target of many threats as of late.”

“What makes you think I’d ever accept this offer, wizard?”

The man got back on his horse and having the high ground, he looked down on Dream.

“I just know you will. And if that helps, it pays. It pays well. I’ll meet you at the Donjons in two days.”

And with that, he was off. The blonde man stared at the horse disappearing in the shadows, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened.  
There was no other way to put it : this was the opportunity of a lifetime. This was the occasion to turn his life around, and maybe try to do something better with it. He had been waiting for something like that to happen for so long, he had been praying for it.

He got back to his cabin and threw his leather boots on the ground as he sat on his stiff bed. He was tired of this life anyways. This place sucked, and he needed a change. He wasn’t born in the Blue Kingdom. He had been raised outside the walls, but only after the death of his mother did he move to the town, in hopes of a better life.  
However the Blue Kingdom hadn’t been the nicest to him, as expected. So maybe, just maybe and as unbelievable as it was, rising to the rank of knight of the Prince would be an opportunity to leave all of it behind.

Dream didn’t like misery, he didn’t like power. He had no clue what he liked, not what his purpose was. The man called Darryl had been nothing but right.  
There was no weighing of options, he already knew what he would choose to do.


	2. Strange Timez

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruv dream in shining armor imagine

George was 16 when his father died. He had never been close to him, mainly because the King didn’t have any time to devote to his son, but his passing had been a major turn in his life.  
Too young to replace his father on the throne, George had been set aside from power by his uncle Schlatt, who had promised nothing but good for the nation. Truth be told, no one really opposed him when he self-proclaimed King of the Blue Kingdom.  
It was only a matter of years before Schlatt turned out to be a power-hungry tyran, who would jail, ban or kill any opponent, and rule with fear on his lands.  
He was getting old however, and his tyranny had slowly burnt out. At least that’s what everyone said, and wanted to believe. George knew him to be as alive as ever.

The brunette tightened his white collar as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked ill. His skin was too pale for his liking and dark circle surrounded his brown eyes. Details, he thought.

Today, he would be meeting his new personal knight. Bad had been telling him about the man for a few months now, and how after he recruited him, he had shown exceptional fighting skills during his intensive training. He could only believe his friend and the least he could do was properly greet the man in question.

George walked out oh his quarters, walking down the stone stairs to the training yard where he was assured to find his friends. The sun was high up in the sky, almost blinding.

“George!” A tall man with raven hair waved at him from afar. He was standing next to a shorter woman with brown and blonde locks.

“Sapnap, Niki. How do you do?”

Sapnap put down his sword as he got closer to the Prince, forehead sweaty for the heavy training in the sun.

“Niki and I are just practicing a bit. How are you doing? You look good in this shirt man.”

Niki nodded and George blushed lightly at the compliment.  
“Thank you. Well, if you want to know, I’m actually meeting my new knight in a few. Rumors say that he’s incredibly gifted.”

“Oh Dream? That he is.” Niki spoke.

“Dream?”

“Bad hasn’t told you? That’s what he goes by. Not sure of his real name tho, but fuck yeah he’s good. I only trained with him for a few and he beat me every single time. It’s kinda frustrating. Apparently he was just a thief!”

“He beat you? You Sapnap?”

“Hey, no need to rub it in okay? He’s really good, that’s all.”

George scoffed. “No, I... ok wow, well beating you in impressive. Thanks for the intel I guess.”

“Actually George, I’m not sure I fully understood.” The knight plopped down to the ground, between the flowers. “What do you need a personal knight for? The King’s knights can protect you, you’re royalty after all! That’s our job.”

The Prince eyed the other knight in distress, and she reciprocated the look. He rubbed his chin.

“Well, let’s say you guys can get quite busy, yeah? After all, you’re the King’s knights for a reason. You answer to him. I’d just feel safer with someone to protect me at all time.”

“Awww, you’re just a baby, Gogy.”

“Don’t call me that Sap! Ugh, I hate you.” He turned back to the stone building. “Anyways, you should probably head back. You guys know you’re not supposed to be around here, the other knights will get suspicious. What if, god forbid, the King was made aware of the fact that you spend time with your beloved Prince? C’mon, hush.”

All three of them laughed before parting ways.

He stood on a balcony overlooking the city. The hanging wisteria cast a purple shadow on his face as he stared far in the distance. As meaningless as the man behind the armor was to him, George had a plan, and the knight was of importance. He had trusted BadBoyHalo from the start and knew the man would not fail him.  
That is why, when the wooden doors behind opened and a tall man stepped out, he addressed him confidently.

“Hello, my knight.”

The man kneeled in front of the Prince, sword at his side.

“My Prince.”

“I’ve heard quite the lot about and your abilities. I trust you’re a gifted man, hence my decision to have you as my knight.”

George observed that knight in question was looking at his surroundings, maybe a hint of confusion visible on his face. George was good with reading emotions like that. He had always been, after all, he’s been raised by royalty. He also couldn’t help but notice the man had beautiful emerald eyes, framed by long dark eyelashes. His hair, short but wavy, was of a dirty blond color that shined gold in the sunlight. It was quite the sight.

“Rise.” The knight stood up, and all George felt like doing was scream internally at the height difference. He hated being reminded of his size, and a 6’2 personal body guard at his side at all days would not help.

“I know this may seem quite orthodox to you, the lack of ceremony or proper greetings. But you’ll have to believe there is a greater reason behind that.”

“I may have heard your life has been put in jeopardy as of late, Sire.”

George sighed. “That, it has. And truth be told, as good as I am with a sword, there is little hope I survive yet another attack on my person. Bad won’t always be by my side, nor will the knights. They answer to the King after all. On that topic, which Knight have you interacted with so far?”

Dream frowned ever so slightly.

“I have spent time in the company of Sir Punz, Ponk, Antfrost, Nicholas and Niki.”

George smiled internally at the use of Sapnap’s formal name. It sounded funny to him.

“Good, I see you have great taste. They are brave people, and very strong too. I’m glad you trained with them. Have you been shown your quarters yet?”

The knight nodded silently, staring deep into the Prince’s eyes.

“Lovely. Well, Sir Dream, I’m glad we got to properly meet. I’ll see you at the reception tonight.” George walked swiftly back inside, turning away from the knight.

“I should add it might could boring. Don’t slack.”


	3. Time to Pretend

George wasn’t what you would call a social person. Matter of fact, he considered himself an introvert.  
As someone who, from their early age, had been taught to look, sound and act over confident and maybe even menacing to assert dominance, it’s something he surely mastered. George knew how to appear at ease, sure of himself and friendly with total strangers who he knew were only in his surroundings by interest. It was all a part of a persona he’d created for himself, that he had spent years sculpting down to the smallest detail. It was like an armor of sorts, to protect himself from the danger that could be people and their words.  
Hypocrisy wasn’t new to him, if anything it was a value he’d been taught very young. Almost like a survival tactic, especially when you’re royalty.  
He didn’t suffer from keeping the mask up though, at least not as frequently as one could assume. As someone who wasn’t in any shape or form a ruler (sadly), he didn’t have to deal with constant harassment or relationships to maintain that would require him to always keep the façade. He considered himself lucky to have lots of alone time that he would spend... writing, signing, reading and analyzing archives, administrative papers and maps. But those calms moments where all he needed to keep his sanity in check.

Growing up, he’d quickly been labeled as the naive, weak child by his family and their relative. He now believed those words were unfounded. George was a good fighter, not the better than his best knights but he was defeated decent. He was smart too.  
Truth be told, he had grown to realize that his family only ever cast him aside to keep him in check. He had to much of a powerful mind and plans for them to handle anyways. 

Prince George would offend host gatherings of different figures of various importance, with whom he’d discuss and let discuss. He didn’t necessarily enjoy the crowd, the fake smiles and the constant tension, but meeting people and hearing their life stories about their lands far away was always fascinating to him. He also liked the noise, it was a nice distraction, and a good background for his greater thoughts.

So there he was, sitting at his table, surrounded by a good dozen of guests eating and chatting about various topics. He’d spent a good majority of the afternoon talking with several of them but had quickly grown bored of it and made it clear he was not to be disturbed again.  
Plus, with the recent events that has occurred, over sharing maybe wasn’t the best of plans. 

He heard the sound of metal shifting behind him, and slowly turned his head around to stare at his knight who had been standing by his side for several hours. How boring that must’ve been for him.

“Dream. Why don’t you join me here for a bit.” His fingers drummed on the wooden table.

The knight stared down at him, the slightest hint of confusion visible on his face. “Would that be wise?”

George scoffed internally. How dared he. Although, maybe he was wary of the prince’s safety, and wanted to stay on his guards at all time. How boring.

“Trust me, I know everyone in this room, therefore you’re being pretty useless right now. Come chat for a bit.”

Dream sat down carefully to his left, almost as if standing right next to the Prince was intimidating to him. Which was funny, because he sure seemed very confident. George leaned closer.

“Do you see the man wearing blue robes with a diamond necklace over there?”

Dream scanned the room and quickly spotted the man in question. He was indeed wearing what looked like very expensive jewelry and had a slight smirk on his face as he was talking with another guest.

“That is Zak the Merchant, also known as Skeppy. He’s a very wealthy trader from the East, and a terrifying bargainer. But he’s also Bad’s best friend, and that alone makes him a trustworthy man. He’s intimidating but a good friend.”

“Over there, the man sitting in a chair with a golden crown, is the King of the Purple Kingdom.”

“The King?” Dream turned to the Prince in astonishment. The brunette was indeed wearing a crown, and king-like clothing such as a bordeaux cloak and high leather boots. He wore dark shade that masked his face. How was a king in here and how come Dream had never heard of him?

“Yes, King Eret. His lands are rather small, and he’s a fairly quiet man, so that’s probably why you don’t know him. Truth be told, I don’t either and for all I know, he could be plotting against my uncle right now.” George paused, then smirked ever so slightly, but Dream noticed right before his face went back to its usual phlegmatic one. “He seems like a good man. Tho, I’ll have to analyse him more if I ever want to trust him.”

George leaned even closer to the knight and got quieter. While his gaze was on the crowd, Dream took a glance at his profile. After all, he’d spent the past three hours staring at his back, and hadn’t gotten a proper look at the man ever since their first, brief meeting in the morning.  
He had dark, chocolate eyes and long eyelashes, as well as a strong jawline and short brown hair. His hair was actually curling on its ends. He looked tired, Dream could tell by the dark circles around his eyes, but that just proved to him he was a busy man. He wore a small silver tiara on his head, which Dream found pretty amusing.  
Overall, the man looked good.  
Wait what.

“Now this young man over there, wearing the dark green coat. He’s the important one. The one I’ve been keeping an eye on for months.”

“Uh..Who, who is it?” George’s voice brought Dream’s attention back to the people in the room.

“He goes by Tubbo, the Lord of the Bees.” _The lord of the Bees?_ Dream knew this name.

“Isn’t he from the Crimson Kindgom?”

“Indeed. Actually, he’s the Prince’s best man. Prince Tommy’s right hand man. Our relationship with the Crimson Kingdom isn’t all that good, and you can keep on dreaming if you think any of the princes or the King would ever show their face here.” George crossed his fingers and rested his chin on top of them.  
“I actually think the youngest prince is a respectable man. Contrary to his delusional brothers, he seems to have motives similar to mine. So it’s a pleasant surprise to see his friend here. It talked with him earlier.”

Dream didn’t know much about the Crimson Kingdom, other than his ruler, King Philza, was about to abdicate, and one of his sons would take his place. He could easily see how that could be of importance to Prince George.

“What about you Dream? I’ve been told you keep your name a secret, which is fine by me, but I would love to know more about my person knight.”

The blonde slightly chocked on his wine at the question. He wasn’t used to personal question, that was why.

“What exactly does your Highness desire to know?”

“Mhhh... let me think. Where do you come from? Have you always lived here, in the Blue Kingdom?”

Nice question. “Actually I haven’t. I was born outside those lands, in a territory I reckon doesn’t belong to the Blue Kingdom. West of here, I don’t remember much. I came here after the death of my mother.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay, that’s one thing we share.” 

Had he just... overstepped here? Oh fuck.

The prince laughed softly. “I guess so, it is. Well I’m glad you’ve decided to come around.” He finished his glass and stood up, announcing his departure.

“The reception shall go on in my absence.”  
He turned to Dream, who had stood up next to him.  
“Will you accompany me to my quarters? At least that’ll show you around.”

Shortly after, they found themselves walking in silence to the Prince’s room. The path they took had them go through an open area of the castle, where moonlight was beaming through the the stone arches and lighting up their faces in a blue-ish glow, giving the whole place an eerie feeling. But it felt nice.  
The breeze coming from the sea was hot, as summer had just begun, and the silence was a drastic but welcomed change from the frenzy of the evening.

Soon enough, both men arrived to the wooden door that lead to George’s part of the castle. Actually, Dream’s room was only a few steps away, so that was convenient. The brunette turned to his knight.

“I have greater plans for you, it’s only a question of time. I hope you enjoyed the evening.”

What a weird thing to say.  
They were standing close to each other, and what was only very noticeable earlier grew blatant to the knight. He couldn’t help himself but giggled 

“What was that for?”

“You’re so short.” He blurted out.

The Prince’s face of went from shock, to disbelief, to disgust and finally confusion in a second.

“What was that Sir Dream?”

“I just said good night.” He panicked.

“I’m sure you did,” he said, clearly not fooled. “Good night. Now get out of my sight.”


	4. Momentary Bliss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My personal and obviously non-biased opinion on this chapter is that it’s cool
> 
> The bad’s stuff just for later

“Dream! You’re such a legend!”

“What? Why?”

It was early in the morning but the summer sun was high in the sky, it’s blazing light heating the grass around the training area. It was still wet tho, which was a pleasant contrast.   
Dream had woken up early, like he usually did, to go train with the royal knights when Nick— no, Sapnap— had jumped on him from nowhere.

“You called George short! That is literally, the funniest thing ever.”

“What? How did you—“

It had been a week since Dream had officially started his journey as the Prince’s knight and so far things had gone pretty smoothly. The Prince wasn’t that talkative, which was a shame really because Dream was (sort of) and their conversations had been brief, but it had seemed like ever since the first day there had been this sort of rivalry between them, which Dream didn’t know if he should like or fear.

“Oh, George just told me about it yesterday. He tells me lots of stuff, but man this pissed him off. And on your first day!”

“Yeah well,” he removed his helmet, sweat dripping down his cheeks. “In my defense, he IS short.”

“My man!!” Sapnap went for a handshake. “I always tease him about it, but I never would’ve done it on the first day I met him. You’re a bold one.”

“Is... is he that mad? It didn’t seem like it was the case this past week...”

“Oh no, you needn’t fret, it’s all banter. I’m sure your fine. I mean, he hasn’t fired you yet as he?”

“He’s not that intimidating, really.”

Sapnap laughed a bit more, removing his headband he always wore. 

“Well, he can be, trust me.”

As they were all packing up, Dream stared at the sun, and the way it hit the mossy stones of this wall of the castle just right. And he could just bet...

George was in his room.

The curtains were drawn to dim the light, and he was hunched over his desk, mapping out god knows what. Dream had peeked into the man’s chambers before, curiosity getting the best of him as he’d decided to figure out what the hell the Prince would be working so late on.  
To the point where he always seemed exhausted, worn out and on edge.   
And truthfully, Dream didn’t like seeing him overworking himself, especially on things he didn’t understand. Clearly, the man had plans he wasn’t sharing, which was fine, but mildly frustrating.

The door was ajar, and so he stepped in the room, crossing his arms as he leaned on the door frame.

“I’m here to inform you you’re missing out on the beautiful weather. It’s a waste, really.”

The brunette, who had leaned backwards on his chair and put an arm on his eyes glanced at the knight on the opposite side of the room.

“Oh yeah? What a pity. As you can tell, I am too busy right to be photosynthesing. But I appreciate your concern.”

He went back to work, and Dream stood there for a solid 5 minutes, before he felt like punching a hole through that damned map.

“Are you really not going to move? Come on, you look like you’re bored out of your mind. You exhaust yourself all the time, take a break perhaps?”

“A prince has no time for breaks.”

“How dramatic.”

George put down his own and stared right at the man. “Listen Dream, you’re not being convincing right now, and therefore you’re just wasting my time. If you want me to leave this room, you’ll have to make me.”  
He crossed his arms and smirked.

Dream was down for a challenge at any times.

He walked towards the desk and extended a single but confident hand to the Prince. “There are annual festivities this week in town. Will you tag along?”

George raised an eyebrow.  
“Clever, but actually stupid. A man of my rank can’t just go out in the wild. If someone recognizes me, I could be a dead man.”

“Fair, but you haven’t taken in account the fact that a), you can just wear something less... eye-catching and b) you have me by your side.”

George considered the offer for a while.  
“You seem overly confident in this. I like it. You know what Dream? I might need a break after all.” He took the knights hand and with that, they were off to town.

_______

“Hey, the shirt looks nice on you.”  
George was wearing a white shirt with a fancy collar, tucked in high brown pants that fitted him well. Some clothes he’d rarely worn.   
The lack of tiara on his head in public definitely felt odd, but not unusual. However, the adrenaline rush he was feeling as they arrived to the town center reached a peak. Why had he agreed to this?   
Had his knight been right about his selflessness and his need for fresh air? But was it that bad that he was actually going to a festival undercover as a villager with his best knight?  
Well, the undercover part hasn’t been clearly stated, but it still felt illegal to be there.

What was nice however was Dream.  
Well.  
Dream wearing normal clothing.  
In his defense, he’d almost only seen the man wearing his shining, rather imposing armor the entire time they’d spent together or the outfit he’d train with, but never casual clothing.

He was wearing a tight, short sleeved black top and wide—yellow?— pants with boots that reached his knee. He still wore his left pauldron.  
Matter of fact, it was the first time the Prince had gotten a look at his knight’s arms. They showed bandages and bruises, resulting of intensive training, as well as freckles.  
And they were muscular too.   
That was only normal for a knight. Yeah. Obviously.

The music grew louder as they approached the festivities. Soon enough, they were surrounded by flowers, garlands, flags and smiling people. George had been in town several times throughout his life, but clearly not enough to get used to it.   
The Blue Kingdom was wealthy. Not the most opulent (contrary to the Crimson Kingdom) but despite its authoritarian ruler, the lands within its borders weren’t drowning in poverty. The inhabitants did their best to remain happy, in an attempt to forget about the arrestations, emprisonnement and executions that would take place on the daily. 

King Schlatt was a paranoid, controlling and power-hungry King. But this was no news to his nephew.

Back to the present, George startled as a strong hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up to his knight, who was staring at his surroundings in awe.

“So, what does the Prince want to do?”

“What... what is there to do?”

Dream laughed. “I knew it, you really have never been here. Well, there are some shooting stands, bands, theatre plays, street food and more.”

“I’ll follow you. I don’t have any preferences, really.”

They watched a play for a while, George staring at the knight and contemplating his smile. He looked happy, which was a pleasant change from the constantly stressed faces he’d see everyday in the castle.  
Then, Dream insisted they go to a shooting stand. He kept saying he would ace it, which George doubted.  
The Prince observed carefully as the knight loaded his crossbow and hit the bullseye every single time. Truly impressive.

“You’re incredibly good. I’ve never seen anyone this good with a crossbow before. Do you hunt?”

“Mmh, no, not really. I did hunt but never with a crossbow. Let’s say I...trained by myself, in case it comes down to shooting people with arrows. But I thank you.”  
Dream flipped the coin he had just won in his hands with mesmerizing ease.

The day went on smoothly, and George would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it. The atmosphere was odd but... nice. Dream was a good listener, and overall an interesting person to listen to. Conversations between the two men, as brief as they might be, felt natural.

He saw the man eyeing a bakery stand and realized he probably didn’t have enough money on him to afford any.

“Would you like some pain au chocolat Dream?”

“Me? Oh no. I’m good.”

George stared at him with that look that just told Dream he was an idiot, then proceeded to buy one for each of them.

“Here, take it. So you don’t look like a starved child.”

“Starved child? I’m taller than you!”

“And I’m older!” The Prince replied with as much energy, unable to contain his growing smile.

“Thanks.” The taller man mumbled, taking a bite.

As the sun lowered in the sky and the clouds turned pink, the two men found their way to the harbor and sat down to look at the sea.

George had always liked the sea. He knew lots of his acquaintances to be scared of it, of the deep dark water that could swallow ships whole, but he wasn’t. He found the rumble of the waves relaxing, and would listen to them from his room at night. He was surprised he could even feel remotely safe being outside in the open, but somehow he trusted his knight a lot. And he had faith in his people, who he had always cherished. What a pity they leaves in fear of the Tyrant that Schlatt was.

Dream was sitting next to him, playing with the reflection of the sunlight on his sword. George thought he should upgrade it. He looked like he could use better than a simple iron sword.

“Dream, what exactly made you want to be a knight? More exactly, my knight. I can only guess it isn’t a simple decision to make.”

Dream scratched his chin. “Actually, it sort of was. A few months ago, I was lost. See, I am a man of action. I love the rush, the adrenaline. I love feeling useful. I love knowing that I’m working on my potential and getting better at things failed in the past. There’s truly nothing better to me than look back at my improvement.”

“And so, when I arrived in the Blue Kingdom, I didn’t know what I was looking for. I could’ve settled for a common job, and worked hard to maintain a decent lifestyle. But it just didn’t come naturally to me. Instead I...”

Dream cut himself short, clearly thinking of a better way to phrase his thoughts.

“Bad told me you were a thief. Is that true?”

“...yes.” Dream admitted. “It was the closest to the thrilling life I had imagined for myself. But at the same time, it felt... deprived of any real sense. Because in the end, it did provide excitement and thrill, but it lacked any real meaningful goal. You see my Prince, I’m convinced I’m destined to a greater purpose. So that is why when the King’s Counselor offered me this position, I couldn’t refuse.”

“Interesting.” George noted. “I’m sorry for seeming like such a dull individual, you must be bored.”

Dream turned to look at the brunette, a sky smile on his lips. “Frankly I am not. Those past days might have been rather monotonous, I don’t think you are. It is true I wish I’d know more about the things you’re always working on until exhaustion, or what’s always occupying your mind, but not sharing them doesn’t make you any less of an interesting person.   
You’re mysterious in your own way.”

The Prince opened his satchel and put on round, wide glasses that fit him very well.  
Dream was amused.

“You’re the mysterious one, Dream. It just can’t figure you out.”

“Ooh, am I?” The knight teased.

George’s nodded, then proceeded to pinch the bridge of his nose. 

“This might be for the better. I have very few people I can trust, and the fact that I just can’t tell what your motives are might be risky for me. But oh well, I think it’s time I let you on on what you’ve been so curious about. What I’ve been working on for so long, and the reason why I require a personal knight to protect me at all times.” 

Dream frowned.

“I’m planning to overthrow King Schlatt by doing a Coup D’État.”


	5. Wicked Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s a short chapter and it’s barely in English but oh well

Dream blinked several times at the Prince’s words. As surprised as he was with this reveal, it all made sense.

“I was only 16 when my father died, and therefore unable to take the reins as the King of the Blue Kingdom. My uncle, J. Schlatt, took his place, assuming all his responsibilities and starting his reign of tyranny on the people.   
He wasn’t always that bad at first. He wasn’t always a dictator. I’d consider him as an enlightened despot. He had great plans for this nation, I’m sure. His execution of them however, was just awful.

It was only a matter of time before he started exiling, jailing and arresting anyone he suspected of opposition. Right this day, if you stand next to a guard and dare speak of how the Crimson Kingdom is wealthier, or how the taxes are too high, you’re guaranteed to be arrested within hours.   
Overall, he’s just an alcoholic and exhausted old man.”

“How is it you’ve never taken back your title of King? You’re the rightful heir after all.”

George sighed. “Well, I never never. Since the day he became King, Schlatt made sure I would never gain any power. He cast me aside, labeling be as a worthless royal who couldn’t handle stress, work, and wars.  
He always said I was a poor diplomat. Which I always begged to differ, but I was talking to a wall. It’s only a few years ago that I realized I needed to get the crown that was rightfully mine. Schlatt maintains good relations with King Philza, but he despises his sons. And with the Crimson King abdicating any day now, I just can’t afford to have in power.”

“Does he know you’re plotting against him?”

“Yes, he does. He just doesn’t the extend of it. My hatred for him only grew stronger after he mocked my deceased parents. Maybe then he realized I was a serious threat to him. And so he told me explicitly that if I were to challenge him, he would have me dead. The army backs him up after all, there wasn’t much I could do.  
When he heard there was a possibility of a coup, he sent five of his knight to kill me.  
I’m thankful Bad was here to save me.  
What he doesn’t know, it that his official spokesman and wizard Darryl is an ally of mine. Bad and I are of similar age and saw each other grow up. He’s one of my closest friends and would never betray me. But his magic is limited, and he can’t always be by my side. That’s why he went as far as finding a man like you, Dream, and trusted you with my safety.

Dream exhaled softly. Here was The Prince’s actual goal. To become the new King.

“So who else is aware of it?”

“You. And Bad. And some other people you don’t know the name of. I can’t trust any royal knights. I might consider Sapnap one of my closest friends, he’s a man of war. I have yet to make him understand my motives. I’m afraid he wouldn’t side with me, and that’s just something I would hate to have to deal with. He’s someone I love.”

“That’s understandable. But then... how are you planning to do this, with such little back up?”

“It’s all a question of relations, and greed. If I can guarantee something that will interest a potential ally, they’ll support me. But you’re right, that’s not all. I actually have the support of Prince Wilbur, who I know is going to step up as the Crimson King.”

“Him? Why not his older brother?”

“Prince Technoblade is a blood-thirsty fighter. I believe he’s not fit for the crown.”

The Prince stood up silently and stared at the water, before turning to his knight.

“I have yet to see the extent of your potential Dream. But I need you by my side. I need you to swear you’ll protect me, and assure my victory. This is the purpose you’ve been looking for.”

Dream’s eyes were beautiful. They were a dark yellow that George knew to be green, and they reminded him of the great forests of the North. And he had freckles. That was something George hadn’t noticed before, but with the sunlight hitting his face just right, it felt like he was meeting the man for a second time.

He secretly pleaded for him to accept. He needed an ally, and a friend. He was tired of pretending around everyone.

The knight kneeled in front of him. There he stood, without his armor and kneeling in front of a man who he’d only gotten to know days ago. But this man had given him a purpose.

“My Prince.”

George wasn’t even wearing his tiara for God’s sake.

“On this day I swear to protect you with my life, and I will assure your rise to the throne as the rightful King of the Blue Kingdom.”


	6. The Back Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayo, long chapter to compensate for the shorter one I uploaded prior to this.  
> The English really isn’t good for this one, I apologize.

“That’s just so unfair! Do we never get a break?” Antfrost cried as he dropped his sword to the ground and watched it bounce on the cobblestone.

“Yeah! I want to go to the ball too! All we do all day is fight, ride horses through the woods, protect the king and kill bandits. I want ladies!!” Sapnap added.

“Guys, are you really surprised you’re not invited to a royal ball? Did you forget your rank again?” Punz removed his helmet to stare at the group of knights. 

Sapnap groaned. “I guess. But I mean, have you heard knights from the other kingdoms have been invited? How uncool is this for us? What do you think Niki?”

Niki yawned as she massaged her aching neck. “I don’t really know Nick. I’m fine with guarding the entry, I’m not good with social gatherings anyways...” She smiled softly. “What about you Dream? Have you heard about it?”

The knight’s question took the green-eyed man out of his reverie, and he shook his head. “No, not really. If we leave that up to the other knights, that will just be like a day off for us. You guys could go to the tavern!”

The group cheered at the suggestion. Dream stretched and grabbed his shield, looking down at his friends. 

“Alright, who should I take on next?”

Sapnap smirked as he stood up, sword in hand. “Always down for a round, buddy.”

If only they knew Dream was attending the royal ball. All the knights knew of Dream was that he was (one of?) the Prince’s knights, but they had no idea he was to be by his side at all time.  
And there was no chance they would know he had in fact been actively plotting against their King with the Prince.   
Several times, the blond had ridden on his stallion through the night, carrying with him letters of the utmost importance. He had sat through secret meetings between the Prince and potential allies and discussed ways to overtake the King’s army during restless nights.  
So it was only natural for the Prince to ask Dream to accompany him to the ball. There was no way he’d leave the man alone.

This was all so thrilling to him. George had offered him an opportunity at a better, more exciting life, where he could make use of his skills and intelligence. It all came together perfectly.

As the days passed, he had also grown to realize how good of a man George was. He was a fierce and wise leader, with impressive deduction skills. He was a bright man, whose potential had been hidden from his people, and it was a pity. Dream was more than convinced he’d make an excellent ruler, and a fair one.  
He wanted to see him succeed.

“Dream, I got you some new clothes. I thought you might like them.”

“Huh?” 

George was holding a magnificent green waistcoat and an equally pretty golden belt as he stepped inside the knight’s quarters.   
It was very rare for George to visit him in his room, and Dream had yet to get used to it.

“These are for the ball. I reckon you won’t be wearing your armor now will you?”

Dream ran an hesitant hand on the velour fabric, before looking up at the Prince.

“I’ve never worn anything that expensive.”

Dream had never been attached to objects, and wasn’t someone who paid attention to his appearance per say. He was very self-aware of people’s gaze, but that would always be the case, no matter what he looked like or wore.  
So naturally, articles of expensive clothing felt... foreign to him. So did gifts.

“Thank you, George.”

A few weeks prior, the brunette had barged into the very same room, round glasses framing his dark eyes. All he had done was contemplate the knight for a while, before telling him.

“From now on, you can call me George.”

And with that, he had left.  
Dream had quickly gotten used to the name. He might have spent hours in the man’s presence, dropping the title had been an easy thing to do for him.

“But don’t wear them yet! I’m looking forward to the ball. I hope they suit you.”

That was how, on the day of the ball, Dream checked himself four times in the mirror and made sure he was presentable. He’d slicked his hair back and wore tight-fitting black trousers that went up his waist, with the belt the Prince had gifted him. His sword fit perfectly in the rich scabbard, and the coat rested well on his wide shoulders. He wondered how on earth the man had gotten his size right.

Dream had never been one to care too much about his appearance, or what people could think of it. In actuality, he disliked the importance people accorded to looks. It was the reason why he’d worn a mask to cover his face for years. It was like people would start thinking of you differently, be it positively or negatively, once they saw what you looked like.  
But somehow, he wanted to look the best he could for the ball.  
He didn’t know why, and told himself it was out of respect for the nobles attending.

The room was large. It was a hall in fact, located on the western side of the castle where, at this time of day, sunlight filtered through the tinted windows onto the smooth floor.   
Lots of guests where already standing there, wrapped in rich and colorful clothing that Dream could only dream to ever afford.  
Although, his coat did seem expensive.   
He’d been told the Prince wouldn’t show up for at least another hour and the knight knew that by then, the sun would be far below the horizon. He sat on a window sill and focused on the growing crowd. 

The other knights had either been tasked to control and oversee the incoming attendees or were off duty for the night. Dream wished he at least had company.

Soon later, chandeliers were lit as the castle was surrounded by the hot and dark July night. The music grew louder, and so did the chatter.   
Dream stared once more at the guests. He recognized several from previous gathering, but most of them were strangers to him. Which meant potential danger. He would have to stay on his guards.

A man caught his attention.  
Standing a few feet from the buffet, a red head wearing a military cap and a long, dark trench coat seemed captivated by the view from the window. Dream had never seen him before.  
As if the man could feel his gaze, he slowly turned to look at the blond from the other side of the room. It was a brief, and intimidating exchange of stares, but it was enough to completely throw Dream off.  
Something was odd about him.

“Dream?”

The man in question turned in surprise at the familiar voice and found himself facing a smiling Prince.   
He was wearing a cerulean jacket, decorated with golden patterns swirling around his sleeves and collar. The buttons were shaped like small roses, and he had a similar belt to Dream’s, around white pants that matched his wide-sleeved shirt.  
He wore high, black boots that made him look taller than usual.

Dream realized he was staring like an idiot.

“My P— George. Good evening.”

“Have you been waiting here for a while?” The brunette gaped at the beautifully decorated room. 

“No, only for around an hour.”

“Oh, I’m very sorry I took that long. I had to discuss important matters.” Dream nodded. It was perfectly understandable.  
“You could’ve gotten some food for yourself in the meantime!”

“I...Didn’t really feel like it. But I’ll go if you do!”  
He looked back at the buffet. The man he was just looking out was nowhere to be seen.

“Sure. And oh— wait! Step back a little will you?” George held the man in place and stared up and down at a confused Dream.  
“This coat looks absolutely amazing on you. It fits you so well.” He failed to contain his smile. But then, his smile faded ever so slightly as he looked to the side, nervousness getting to him.

“You look very good tonight.”

That caught the knight off guard and his eyes widened at the comment. How was George able to so casually compliment him? 

“Thank you.” He smiled back at the man.

They were handed glasses of champagne and Dream watched yet again, back resting against the stone wall, as George discussed with guests. He was clearly keeping the talks brief tho, and an hour had passed when he turned to his knight, running a hand through his parted hair.

“Dream, aren’t you bored?”

The band has started playing a more rhythmic theme, and most of the people in the room were either dancing or drinking.

“I guess I am. I’m bad with small talks, so it’s pointless I even try to talk with anyone.”

“Aren’t you bored?” He asked the Prince.

“I am. I am so done with talking to those hypocrites. But you already know that. There isn’t much else I can do now is there?”

Dream considered him for a second, before nodding in disapproval. He finished his glass as he glanced at the dancing guests, and then looked at the smaller man.   
The room was dark, and George could hardly see the expression he wore, but it looked malicious.

In a spike of confidence, the knight extended a hand to the Prince. 

“Would you fancy a dance with me?”

George blinked in surprise.

“Yes I would.” He took the taller’s man hand. What could possibly go wrong with this? He was a good dancer after all.

They walked closer to the music, and positioned themselves in front of the other.

“I have a confession to make.” Dream giggled.

George frowned. “What is it?” He was trying his best to keep his composure. _Dream’s laugh was—_

“I’m a terrible dancer. Or so I’ve been told.”

George laughed. “That’s fine. You can always learn. Here, let me show you.”   
He grabbed the taller’s man waist, carefully pulling him closer and Dream thanked the gods for the darkness in the room that concealed his blushing face.

Slowly, he caught on the pace and they were able to move in in a similar rhythm.

“So George, how come you’re dancing with me?”

The Prince looked up at him, eyebrows quirking. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“You could be dancing with all these young ladies over there who have, quite frankly, been staring at you all night.” They both looked at the group of women who had indeed been peaking at the both of them. They immediately acted indifferent, and they both laughed.

“Well. I don’t know any of them if that answers you question.”

“Really? I thought you did.”

“I sort of do..? But not as much as I know you, Dream. Plus, I had no intentions to ask them for a dance anyways.”

Left, left.

“But you agreed to my proposal? I’m honored.” He teased.

Stride right. 

“Of course I have.” George responded casually, whatever that implied.

George looked up at Dream. He was smiling fondly, and for a second, it was like everything around them had been blurred and muffled. Really, the only thing that mattered in the room was the man’s bright smile.

“I forgot to mention you also look very pleasant this evening, my Prince.”

George almost choked at the compliment.  
They had switched positions, and he could feel the taller man’s fingers burning into his back. He never had any issues with physical contact, but this was different.

The embrace felt nice.

“Prince George, I presume?”

The two men stopped in their tracks and found themselves face to face with a man with brown locks.

He had a slander figure, and the pale color of his skin was noticeable even in the darkness. He wore a rich vest embroidered with golden snakes, as well as a yellow cravat. His coat, a long black one with a mao collar, reached his knees which overall gave him a very ominous appearance.

George knew exactly who he was.

“Prince Wilbur. How lovely to finally meet you.”

The Prince smiled mischievously at the two men that he had clearly just interrupted.  
Dream could hardly contain his surprise. He had heard of the Crimson Throne’s Heir, but never had he seen the man in person.

“I hope I’m not intruding. I just really wanted to talk to the King’s nephew I’ve heard so much about.”

George noted that he was taller than Dream. He forced a smile back.

“No, obviously not. May I ask what you are doing here, in the Blue Kingdom? Your family is a rare sight on these lands.”

Wilbur scoffed. “So I’ve heard. I actually had important matters to discuss with your dear uncle. I might only be the Prince for now, at least I get to be in charge of our business deal.”

Dream eyebrows spiked in surprise at the obvious attack on George’s person. George, on the other hand, remained unfazed.

“Well, I hope that went well for you. I actually don’t doubt it. I have heard you’re a tremendous negotiator.”

“I’d say your sources aren’t wrong.” The same cold smile, again.  
Why was it so tense between the two men?

Once again, Dream’s gaze was drawn to a corner of the hall. He had this bone-chilling sensation of being watched, ever since he had arrived, and couldn’t pinpoint who in the crown, between the dozens of persons gaping at the Prince, gave him that feeling.  
There, under one of the tall windows, stood the red head who had intrigued the knight earlier.   
His unsettling gaze was back upon the blonde, and Dream could almost sense him smirk as he held a glass of wine to his lips.

It felt wrong. Something was definitely off.  
He turned on his heels to ask the Prince about him but George—

George wasn’t there.

The knight’s eyes widened as he stared at the spot where only moments ago, stood the brunette. He immediately scanned the room in search of the man, in vain. Where was he? How had he vanished so quickly? 

_Why hadn’t Dream been paying attention?_

The feeling of someone spying on him crawled back up his spine like a cold shiver in his back. He turned to see that the man in the trench coat had disappeared.  
And George wasn’t there. He was nowhere to be seen.

His hand was mere inches from the grip of his sword.

“George?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not sure if anyone cares or noticed, but every single chapter title is either a song or album title from artists I adore.


	7. In for the Kill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw!! Graphic content. Blood and shit
> 
> Well it does seem like the chapters are getting longer, I might have to write a short one after this

George adjusted his tight collar and took a quick breathe of fresh air.  
An orchestra of crickets and cicadas greeted him as he leaned on the balcony, mossy stone rubbing his elbows.  
He dusted them off, whipping some sweat from his forehead.

He was feeling terrible.  
It had started after he’d joined the ball and chatted with his assigned knight for a while. His throat had progressively gotten sore, and his neck felt itchy. His head was a whole other story : it felt as tho a trillion knives were punctuating his scalp, and he was burning hot.  
He had tried his best to maintain his composure, in hope not to ruin the festivities especially while he’d been dancing with his knight, wanting to enjoy every single second of it.   
But then the embodiment of an headache that was Prince Wilbur had come storming into his personal space and he’d had to excuse himself out.

Truly, he felt bad for leaving Dream behind. The poor man was probably wondering where he was right this moment. Or maybe he wasn’t, and had totally forgotten about his Prince. Or he was relieved to be finally released from his boring duty.   
George didn’t know which was worse, but what he did know however, was that he would not go back inside in this state. He had to calm himself down. He told himself it was probably just his social anxiety kicking in.

His focus was brought back to the guests, who had stared at the two of them in the most obviously and disrespectful of ways. Something about it had pissed him off greatly, and he couldn’t pinpoint why.  
He was used to the stares , he had always been. Being under strangers’ scrutiny was a part of his daily routine so what had it been different this time? Why had he felt like punching every single one of the individual who had ruined the moments he spent with his knights?

And that Prince Wilbur, he truly was a nuisance.

He decided to go for a walk around the greenhouse to clear his mind. He loved that place, and despite the heat of his body, the air outside was cool enough.  
He had only walked down a few sets of stairs when he heard some clanking behind him, and turned around to see none other than Sapnap standing in the moonlight, in full armor shining armor.

“Sapnap! What are you doing here?”

Oddly, the knight stared at him for a while instead of answering directly like George would’ve expected his friend to.

“I have been assigned guarding duty tonight. I’m watching the entry, failing to have been invited to the ball.” He scoffed, and the Prince relaxed.

“Oh I’m sorry. I wish you could’ve joined us. Unfortunately, I didn’t...host the ball, my uncle did. Rather fancy of him not to show up.” He felt like his words came out sloppy.

“What are you doing out? Shouldn’t you be inside, dancing with all the ladies?”  
The knight smiled, his white teeth shining in the night.

Muffled music echoed from within the castle.

Now that was a smile George had never seen.

“I’m feeling... I’m feeling unwell at the moment. You know how I can get with crowds they tend to get rather... overwhelming.”

“That’s understandable. Are you sure it’s not the alcohol getting to your head?”

George blinked slowly. “You know I don’t drink that much, Sap. What a...weird thing to sugge—“

“I’d feel terrible if I abandoned my guests like you’re doing right now. What are pitiful behavior.” Sapnap walked down a step, then another, his metal boots scrapping against the hard surface in an unbearable noise.

“I bet Dream is thriving now that you’re gone.”

George frowned.

Sapnap had his hand on his sword’s grip.

“Sapnap? What are you—“

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as the raven haired man pulled out his iron sword in a swift move and sliced the air, inches away from the Prince’s face.  
Thank god for his god given reflexes.

“Sapnap?!!”

George immediately reacted, taking a large step backwards to dodge another hit coming his way. Having the low ground was an obvious disadvantage, and so he jumped the few steps to the grass, in a state of confusion and disbelief.  
A sudden nausea overtook his senses, and he felt like vomiting, but his stomach was empty. What on earth was happening to him?

To his horror, his friend jumped down, sword still in hand and started heading his way, the night outlining menacing figure.  
George drew out his own sword from his golden scabbard and held it to the knight with shaking hands.  
His hands were never shaky.

“Sapnap what are you doing?”

Now George was a smart man. And he only took him a couple of seconds to assess the situation and realize the man in front of him couldn’t be his dearest friend.  
Sure, he’d challenged the Prince to duels many times before, but never in this unconventional way.  
Never while he was on duty, never while George was busy.

And Sapnap could be snarky, he would’ve never said those spiteful comments to his friend.

Or maybe he wou—

Sapnap’s sword came down on his in a sharp clanking sound, and George couldn’t believe he had stopped such a hit. A hit clearly meant to be fatal.  
He braced himself for another, and another, but his stance was shaky, and his arms were aching.  
His state hasn’t gotten better in fact it had gotten worse.  
His head was throbbing.

The Prince took put up with the hits. They were standing on the wet grass, right outside the castle, and no one could hear him if he screamed.   
Not even Dream.

Despite his worsening state, George decided to go on the offensive. He knew how to fight, tho he gave himself little hope of winning considering he felt like passing out and Sapnap overall way better with a sword, plus he wore his armor.

There was also the fact that George couldn’t hurt him. Whatever had gotten into his friend to cause this madness, he would exorcise it out of him, one way or another. But he couldn’t wound him now could he?

He dodged the blade coming mere inches from his arm and started to fight back. To his horror, Sapnap blocked every single one of his hit with his sword, letting no chances for the man to turn the situation to his advantage.  
Then, a window of opportunity. He plunged his sword in the knight’s chainmail between his right shoulder and elbow, and the sharpness of his royal blade broke it as the man screamed in agony.

He was bleeding profusely, but it was nothing life threatening. Tho the vision of his friend wounded and the blood on his sword forced him to stop in his tracks. How could he have done this?

His through process was interrupted by the hard metal knuckles of the Prince connecting full force with his jaw.  
He didn’t lose his balance somehow, but he swore something in his jaw was broken. His nose started to bleed profusely.  
He took a few steps back.

“Ooh George..! Are you backing away, what happened to our friendly duels?”

“Sapnap, for love of God, you need to snap out of it.”

It came to a point where the corner of George’s vision turned black. He was breathing heavily, trying to stay conscious as he held a tight grip on his diamond sword.

“You can’t even fight. What a pity. The King will be so disappointed! Actually...”

The black-haired man started sprinting towards the disoriented Prince, and despite his wounded, struck another blow that somehow George successfully countered. 

“He always thought you were weak.”

Those words shook George to his core, and this was enough for Sapnap to stab him in the ribs, right above his belt.   
George chocked on blood, and he collapsed as the knight retrieved his bloodied sword.

Despite all, he still believed his friend wouldn’t hurt him. He was too naive.

As he leaned on the cold wall behind him, he looked down at the damage. There was so much blood pouring out of him he couldn’t even tell. 

A pair of metal boots appeared in his field of view. Sapnap was standing in front of him, sword drawn.  
The moonlight beamed onto his face, and George noticed a peculiar glint in his eyes. He recognized it immediately. He’d seen it many times before, when Bad had been by his sides.  
It was magic. 

He braces himself for the final hit that he knew was coming. 

“Sapnap?”

George’s eyes flew open at the familiar, voice. However this time, it sounded different. It had lost all warmth.  
Dream was standing a few feet from the two men, sword in hand. His shoulders moved up and down, as if he was exhausted from running.

“Sapnap. Let go of him.” He spoke in a deep, stone cold voice. Sapnap didn’t budge. Instead, he faced the blond and revealed the dying Prince at his feet. 

Dream’s blood ran cold. He sprinted towards the new enemy.

“Sapnap!!” 

George witnessed as his knight jumped on the other man with full force. Sapnap blocked his sword but soon enough he was the one backing away from Dream’s hits.   
They were swift, bold but accurate. George had never seen this. It was like every single one of the knight’s moves were calculated, and his swung his sword around with a mind blowing ease.   
He wasn’t even wearing his armor, yet he took on a fully geared man.  
He dodged a hit meant for his head with an unseen speed, and plunged his sword in the man’s calf.  
Sapnap lost his balance and has he leaned forward in pain, the handle of Dream’s sword came right in contact with his scalp, knocking him out cold.

He’d knocked out Sapnap in full armor without taking even a single hit.

Dream exhaled loudly as he stared down at his friend’s figure in the grass, then turned to the Prince.   
However before he could even make a move toward George, an arrow came flying down into his shoulder, piercing his loose white shirt.   
George noticed how he’d gotten rid of the emerald coat before the fight.

Five men were facing him. They were all royal knights, and George knew them to be as bewitched as Sapnap had been. Dream turned to them, his straight figure glowing in the moonlight like one of a guardian angel.  
He took on the five knights, and George passed out.

———————

Dream whipped blood dripping from his mouth with the back of his hand. The same liquid dripped from his sword, now turned a velvet hue, but it wasn’t his. His shirt was ruined.  
The five knights were down. He had killed some of them, and the rest could be dying at his feet. He couldn’t care less, he let them bleed out. 

What mattered right now was...was..

George.

“George!” He ran and kneeled in front of the brunette, his widened eyes scanning the horrific scene.  
The Prince was bleeding from his lower stomach. Or ribs. Dream couldn’t tell there was so, _so much blood_.  
His shirt had turned crimson and in the darkness it appeared jet black.  
More more blood was dripping from his nose and mouth.

The Prince was unresponsive. Dream’s heart clenched. He immediately put a finger to the man’s throat, and gasped in relief when he found a weak pulse. He was alive.

How had it come down to this? How had Dream failed so badly at the only job he’d been assigned? _He should’ve never looked away._

Dream didn’t waste any time as he carefully grabbed the man, holding him bridal style.   
George was such a lightweight, and he looked even smaller cradled in the knight’s arms.  
Dream looked down at the wound. He knew how to bandage, but his shirt wouldn’t suffice. The extent of the damage was so great that he knew it would be useless to anyways.   
He looked up at the menacing shape of the castle detaching itself from the ink sky and realized he couldn’t bring the Prince the the ball. He didn’t know anyone at the ball. If anything, they could all be enemies.

He started running alongside the walls, his wobbly legs barely carrying his own weight.

————-

Bad had just walked out of an exhausting meeting with confederates, and headed to his quarters.   
A peek through the windows told his it was very late in the night, and the moon reached and all time high in the sky. 

He didn’t hate meetings per say. One could say he enjoyed them. It was his job anyways. However, he struggle to keep his composure in front of lying hypocrites. In some instances he had to keep it shut, rather than berate those people, and he hated it.  
He was naturally a good man. Bad knew he wasn’t built to be a leader and had no wishes to, but he still always fought for what was right. He had never used his magic in a way that would be convenient to him. It had always been to serve his friends, or greater causes.

He carefully folded his coat on his bed, and removed his glasses. A sigh escaped him as he rubbed his face and eyes. He couldn’t wait for it to be all over, for Schlatt to be out of the picture.

His door creaked open, making him jump in surprise.

Dream was standing in the entry, red all over his face and in his arms was the Prince, whose blood was dripping on the wooden planks.   
The knight looked up at the wizard and Bad felt his great distress. 

“Bad...?”

“Dream, what on earth happened!” He got a closer look at Prince. Dried blood stained his face, and his clothing was soaking in it. He immediately took the man in his arms and lay him on his bed.

“We got attacked... dark magic.” Dream exhaled shakily behind him, as he rushed to his medical cupboard.   
His head spiked in disbelief.

“What’d you say?”

He only got the time to glance at the knight before he collapsed in front of him, passing out of exhaustion.

“Dream!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, thank you lots for the comments! They’re all really nice :)


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